IRREDEEMABLE ANT-MAN #4 (Review/Spoilers)

[Muze]

Dread's Review of:
IRREDEEMABLE ANT-MAN #4:

Finally, a breather from CIVIL WAR. The sales for this book are dropping dramatically every issue, and if it doesn't find a stable audience soon it may be dead by issue #7 like THE THING was, which is a shame because it has been an innovative way to revamp a legacy character. The Concept remains "find the absolute worst guy to fill a superhero legacy who is only a nosehair away from being a villian, and run with it". It makes a lot of DC's attempts to get new, ethnic flesh behind their masks look as generic and half-hearted as they are. And in his own jerky, lazy way, Eric O'Grady is probably closer to a typical person than many readers want to admit, at least publically. The story continues to mix between present and "3 months ago" elements, although as both flashback and present seem set to have the same climax (a battle with Mitch). In the past, Eric is called back to SHIELD a month after Chris' death and the attack, and manages to hide his armor from Mitch and finally gets to bed Veronica (and still comes off as sleazy when he does it). He spies on (what else) lady agents showering, and stumbled upon an ant colony, which he controls. And RACES them for his bemusement. Meanwhile, Pym gives Mitch an older Ant-Man suit to track down the theif with the new one; and it's your usual story; lead has raw power, antaganist has experience and know-how, and the Ant-Men meet. Quite why Pym himself doesn't go seems to smell of plot convience, but no biggie. In the present, a scarred Mitch has tracked down Eric to his date's apartment, where he reveals himself for a fight. Hester's art is spot-on and Kirkman is on his A-game here. A shame the book is not being rewarded for it. I imagine Kirkman may pace both past and present battles to seem like they are running at the same time, and it may finally end with us finished with the Flashbacks soon and into the rest of the tale, if the book lasts that long. He may be unlikeable, but he is readable, and a shame more aren't giving it a try.

 

[Muze]

i pretty much agree with everything you said. i'm still very excited to read how ever many issues Kirkman and Hester put out. it's the only character i'm really 'into' right now.

which is a shame because it has been an innovative way to revamp a legacy character. The Concept remains "find the absolute worst guy to fill a superhero legacy who is only a nosehair away from being a villian, and run with it".

after this issue, i'm not so sure that Eric is the worst one to fill the legacy. in his downtime, Eric is a despicable character. he has little respect for women, appreciation of responsibility, or loyalty to his friends. but i think he's a somewhat different person when he's wearing the costume. the role has at least forced him to do what he signed on to SHIELD for; "world-saving." i think Eric knows how a hero is supposed to act. he knows that helping others is a good thing to do. he just never stops to ask the "why" part of it. he's a SHIELD agent because he wants to see action, be seen as having a cool job, wear a headset and do what Mitch does. he's just missing the 'duty and honor' part of it. i think Eric makes a better Ant-Man than, say, Mitch would. and one thing he has over Pym is that he's not insecure in himself/he doesn't try too hard (see how Pym's taking things to seriously has messed him up in the past).

It makes a lot of DC's attempts to get new, ethnic flesh behind their masks look as generic and half-hearted as they are.

i don't care what race he is but i'm glad that Kirkman focused more of his personality.

And in his own jerky, lazy way, Eric O'Grady is probably closer to a typical person than many readers want to admit, at least publically.

he's your typical twenty-something gen-x'er. i think he'd get along with Jay & Silent Bob, before stealing their wallets.

The story continues to mix between present and "3 months ago" elements, although as both flashback and present seem set to have the same climax (a battle with Mitch). In the past, Eric is called back to SHIELD a month after Chris' death and the attack, and manages to hide his armor from Mitch and finally gets to bed Veronica (and still comes off as sleazy when he does it).

for some reason i expected Veronica to be stronger-willed. she didn't even press him on Kristen not admitting to being 'the other woman.'

He spies on (what else) lady agents showering,

and at least one sniper lady showering. brief but funny. Eric's got some serious boundary issues. i guess that makes them perfectly suited to SHIELD surveillance work. it just occurred to me that SHIELD encourages a lot of Eric's bad traits. spies often lie and go places they aren't allowed to by law.

and stumbled upon an ant colony, which he controls. And RACES them for his bemusement.

this was my favorite part of the story because it was light-hearted. and i wouldn't say that he 'controls' them. they looked to be having fun, despite no facial expressions. loved that two of the ants were named after Buffy the Vampire Slayer characters. i guess agents do get to watch tv.

Quite why Pym himself doesn't go seems to smell of plot convience, but no biggie.

this takes place at a point in time where Hank isn't an active hero. he made it clear in the first issue that he didn't even miss being ant-man. plus, Maria Hill might have insisted that Mitch go for three reasons 1) he's expendable 2) he was their pick to become Ant-Man in the first place and 3) Hank's in their employ as a scientist & a busy man. i can almost guarantee that Pym will go after him, in the future. for now i like that Mitch is being set up as his #1 foe. like i mentioned in another post, he's Eric's darker side.

In the present, a scarred Mitch has tracked down Eric to his date's apartment, where he reveals himself for a fight.

i was surprised by that. he seemed genuinely frustrated that Mitch was still hounding him. he must have really become attached to the costume.

 

[Kool-Aid]

Great issue, loved it. I can't wait to find out how suped up the suit is that hes wearing.

 

[Colossal Spoons]

Making ants race for table scraps = awesome

 

[Muze]

Making ants race for table scraps = awesome

i wonder what they'd do for a sugar cube. they'd probably break dance or something.

 

[Dread]

i pretty much agree with everything you said. i'm still very excited to read how ever many issues Kirkman and Hester put out. it's the only character i'm really 'into' right now.

Naturally. I mean you're the Ant-Man Fanboy. I've never actually met one before SHH. It definately makes for a unique MB identity.

after this issue, i'm not so sure that Eric is the worst one to fill the legacy. in his downtime, Eric is a despicable character. he has little respect for women, appreciation of responsibility, or loyalty to his friends. but i think he's a somewhat different person when he's wearing the costume. the role has at least forced him to do what he signed on to SHIELD for; "world-saving." i think Eric knows how a hero is supposed to act. he knows that helping others is a good thing to do. he just never stops to ask the "why" part of it. he's a SHIELD agent because he wants to see action, be seen as having a cool job, wear a headset and do what Mitch does. he's just missing the 'duty and honor' part of it. i think Eric makes a better Ant-Man than, say, Mitch would. and one thing he has over Pym is that he's not insecure in himself/he doesn't try too hard (see how Pym's taking things to seriously has messed him up in the past).

Well, Mitch is more of a down-and-dirty SHIELD grunt, for better or worse. The sort of guy who probably wouldn't bat an eye about shooting Patriot full of tranqs in a CW issue or something. Past issues show he's hardly perfect either. And that also helps the title and the characters, in that in that ULTIMATES way, they're all revealed to have faults. Veronica is insecure and at times gullible towards people she trusts. Eric isn't a villian, but he's a letch, willing to turn on his friends for personal gain, lazy, and selfish. He'll help out someone, but he usually looks out for #1 first, almost like what Spider-Man may have been if Uncle Ben never died. He was usually in the shadow of other people at SHIELD and as Ant-Man he gets what he wants; power, action, spotlight. Not bad for a 1 inch hero. And unlike Pym he never beat his wife. And Mitch's disgressions actually caused the whole mess; he's the one who put underqualified agents on guard duty, and helped cover for his own arse.

i don't care what race he is but i'm glad that Kirkman focused more of his personality.

They're certainly more interesting than the new Atom or Blue Beetle in that sense. Kirkman hasn't crossed the threshold into total *****ebag-land like Millar on ULTIMATES 2 has. That's why I am liking it. I usually found Scott Lang more interesting than Pym, if only for his daughter, but Eric's plenty interesting. He almost writes himself. It'll be a shame to lose him.

he's your typical twenty-something gen-x'er. i think he'd get along with Jay & Silent Bob, before stealing their wallets.

And let's not forget, Jay & Silent Bob are drug dealers (and users), which is illegal too. Just like being a peeping tom. Yeah, he fits the mold of jaded Gen X'er (I think I'm "Generation Y").

for some reason i expected Veronica to be stronger-willed. she didn't even press him on Kristen not admitting to being 'the other woman.'

It was surprising. Maybe that is being saved for later, to see it all crash down on Eric (his own scheme backfiring royally). Losing Chris effected Veronica and she just needed someone to trust, a role Eric exploited (some of it surely was genuine, but he did exploit it, no question). People sometimes do a lot of things to avoid reality. I mean that was half the message of THE MAXX.

and at least one sniper lady showering. brief but funny. Eric's got some serious boundary issues. i guess that makes them perfectly suited to SHIELD surveillance work. it just occurred to me that SHIELD encourages a lot of Eric's bad traits. spies often lie and go places they aren't allowed to by law.

That's true.

this was my favorite part of the story because it was light-hearted. and i wouldn't say that he 'controls' them. they looked to be having fun, despite no facial expressions. loved that two of the ants were named after Buffy the Vampire Slayer characters. i guess agents do get to watch tv.

I never watched BUFFY so I didn't catch the refs. Yeah, it was hilarious. ANT-MAN knows how to entertain. Plus it helped redefine the ant-powers. It's not exactly control, but communication. And as ants work as a colony, they usually are inclined to follow orders, although they don't have to (especially if they don't understand it. I mean, they ARE ANTS).

this takes place at a point in time where Hank isn't an active hero. he made it clear in the first issue that he didn't even miss being ant-man. plus, Maria Hill might have insisted that Mitch go for three reasons 1) he's expendable 2) he was their pick to become Ant-Man in the first place and 3) Hank's in their employ as a scientist & a busy man. i can almost guarantee that Pym will go after him, in the future. for now i like that Mitch is being set up as his #1 foe. like i mentioned in another post, he's Eric's darker side.

Yeah. Plus, Pym right now prefers the dual role that Yellowjacket allows; growing and shrinking.

i was surprised by that. he seemed genuinely frustrated that Mitch was still hounding him. he must have really become attached to the costume.

Considering they'd already fought once, I wasn't surprised. And naturally Eric's attached. It's the best thing that's happened to him and allowed him to fulfill his dreams. Just a lot of those dreams aren't altruistic. That's what sets Eric apart for now. He's not a villian, but he's not as altruistic as many heroes we are used to. That keeps him interesting. It's inevitable that he's used elsewhere on a team book and while I hope Eric develops, he isn't made too soft too soon. Although it might be interesting to have him meet Stature. She might be pissed at him.

 

[Muze]

Naturally. I mean you're the Ant-Man Fanboy. I've never actually met one before SHH. It definately makes for a unique MB identity.

think that's weird. there's actually an NFL Super-Pro fanboy!

Well, Mitch is more of a down-and-dirty SHIELD grunt, for better or worse.

he's exactly what the job requires, from what i've seen. the guy actually mouthed off to the Iron Maniac. he's lucky to be alive.

Veronica is insecure and at times gullible towards people she trusts.

lucky for Eric. i hope Beth isn't that stupid.

Eric isn't a villian, but he's a letch, willing to turn on his friends for personal gain, lazy, and selfish. He'll help out someone, but he usually looks out for #1 first, almost like what Spider-Man may have been if Uncle Ben never died.

what's yet to be seen is if he has a conscience. i noticed that he's done a lot of 'sighing' over the past two issues. is that the guilt beginning to hit him, a sign that he's bored, or just air escaping? t:

He was usually in the shadow of other people at SHIELD and as Ant-Man he gets what he wants; power, action, spotlight. Not bad for a 1 inch hero. And unlike Pym he never beat his wife.

of course, he's never been married. but i guess he did try to stop the husband from beating up his wife in issue 3.

They're certainly more interesting than the new Atom or Blue Beetle in that sense.

well i've gotta admit that Blue Beetle's got a cool costume design going for him. but i bet he's not as unpredictable as Eric. and i found the new Atom to be bland. he's too much of a nice guy.

It was surprising. Maybe that is being saved for later, to see it all crash down on Eric (his own scheme backfiring royally). Losing Chris effected Veronica and she just needed someone to trust, a role Eric exploited

it would be funny to see him get his comeuppance (sp?). part of why i watch My Name is Earl.

I never watched BUFFY so I didn't catch the refs. Yeah, it was hilarious. ANT-MAN knows how to entertain. Plus it helped redefine the ant-powers. It's not exactly control, but communication. And as ants work as a colony, they usually are inclined to follow orders, although they don't have to (especially if they don't understand it. I mean, they ARE ANTS).

which is fitting when you think about how Eric & Chris were in issue 1. shield agents are inclined to follow orders but don't always know exactly what they are doing. i really do see it as brilliant that they made him a SHIELD grunt. the organization is easily comparable to an ant colony (Director Hill being the Queen).

Yeah. Plus, Pym right now prefers the dual role that Yellowjacket allows; growing and shrinking.

i'd actually like to see Pym fight Eric as Yellowjacket. i don't think it's ever been done before (Ant-Man vs Yellowjacket).

And naturally Eric's attached. It's the best thing that's happened to him and allowed him to fulfill his dreams.

so i guess the question is more of how attached is SHIELD to the suit? how long will they keep up the chase? i'm sure Eric would register if they told him he could keep the suit. but i guess they'll have to try the force route, first.

Just a lot of those dreams aren't altruistic. That's what sets Eric apart for now. He's not a villian, but he's not as altruistic as many heroes we are used to.

i definately don't consider him to be a villain. he's too tame to be a Thunderbolt, imo.

That keeps him interesting. It's inevitable that he's used elsewhere on a team book and while I hope Eric develops, he isn't made too soft too soon. Although it might be interesting to have him meet Stature. She might be pissed at him.

well they are at about the same maturity level. could be a fun fight.

 

[Marcdachamp]

You people quote too much.

I really hope this is how the Ant-Man movie is. Eric's got more personality than Pym could ever dream of.

 

[Muze]

You people quote too much.

I really hope this is how the Ant-Man movie is. Eric's got more personality than Pym could ever dream of.

but that's only because Pym's popping prozac pills like they were mentos. a few more issues of Eric ruining his rep will get him off the drugs and back into the cr-azy!!

 

[supermarvelman]

Dude my store didnt get AM #4, damnit. Ireally hope the book doesnt get cancelled.

 

[Muze]

Dude my store didnt get AM #4, damnit. Ireally hope the book doesnt get cancelled.

was it the west coast that got shafted this week? that sucks. unfortunately i don't have a scanner or i would have scanned the cool parts. maybe they'll get a new shipment in next week.

 

[Dread]

think that's weird. there's actually an NFL Super-Pro fanboy!

I know, I think he made a topic reposting my ideas for reviving Superpro in Anubis' "what if you could" sort of topic.

he's exactly what the job requires, from what i've seen. the guy actually mouthed off to the Iron Maniac. he's lucky to be alive.

I seriously need to relook some of my MTU issues to see that.

lucky for Eric. i hope Beth isn't that stupid.

He's been lucky at times so far, but when will it run out?

what's yet to be seen is if he has a conscience. i noticed that he's done a lot of 'sighing' over the past two issues. is that the guilt beginning to hit him, a sign that he's bored, or just air escaping? t:

Could be a combination. I don't believe Eric is remourseless, he just doesn't let it prevent him from getting what he wants. I think we all have known someone like that. Someone who wasn't totally evil, but whose conscience couldn't overcome their selfishness. I mean have we ever seen Maria Hill show much remourse?

of course, he's never been married. but i guess he did try to stop the husband from beating up his wife in issue 3.

And how! Punching out an artery is still bad ass. Shrinking heroes take a lot of flack but that was cool. All he needs is a moment like Atom got against Darkseid (the Atom once rode on a beam of light to get past a forcefield and attack the villian's brain).

well i've gotta admit that Blue Beetle's got a cool costume design going for him. but i bet he's not as unpredictable as Eric. and i found the new Atom to be bland. he's too much of a nice guy.

Don't get me wrong, I do like the new BLUE BEETLE and read the book, but he's a bit of a rather generic sort of "young hero". Eric is bucketloads more interesting than he or a few "new legacy heroes" but sadly the sales may not back him up. Still, I think his nature may make Eric more amusing for other writers too. I could imagine Brubaker (CRIMINAL) or Vaughan or even a hack like Bendis can be doing some good with him (with Bendis, the more jaded you are, the more efficient you tend to be in his stories. Think about it).

it would be funny to see him get his comeuppance (sp?). part of why i watch My Name is Earl.

Yeah.

which is fitting when you think about how Eric & Chris were in issue 1. shield agents are inclined to follow orders but don't always know exactly what they are doing. i really do see it as brilliant that they made him a SHIELD grunt. the organization is easily comparable to an ant colony (Director Hill being the Queen).

That's an interesting analogy I didn't catch, but it works. Good eye.

i'd actually like to see Pym fight Eric as Yellowjacket. i don't think it's ever been done before (Ant-Man vs Yellowjacket).

Not that I can recall. Pym naturally would have him on experience WAY more that Mitch does despite Eric's superior suit. Mitch is a rookie like Eric, just had more official training (much like a rookie on a sport's team trains with the rest of the team, but still is a rookie).

so i guess the question is more of how attached is SHIELD to the suit? how long will they keep up the chase? i'm sure Eric would register if they told him he could keep the suit. but i guess they'll have to try the force route, first.

How long did the military chase Hulk (even at times to try to "find out the secret of his power to harness it", or even provoking a Hulk who always shouted about being left alone)? Eric may be in it for a while.

i definately don't consider him to be a villain. he's too tame to be a Thunderbolt, imo.

Or not as emo, if "Penance" is any indication.

well they are at about the same maturity level. could be a fun fight.

It probably would be. Would it reveal Eric as also being a pedo?

 

[FrogMan]

think that's weird. there's actually an NFL Super-Pro fanboy!

SuperPro ROCKS!!!!

I assume you weren't talking about me, so who's this fanboy?

Or maybe you were talking about me?

 

[Muze]

I seriously need to relook some of my MTU issues to see that.

it was this issue, i think.
http://www.milehighcomics.com/cgi-bin/backissue.cgi?action=fullsize&issue=52021726214 22

He's been lucky at times so far, but when will it run out?

well it's sort of already run out now that Mitch knows who he is. that's it for SHIELD service. now he's homeless; like D-Man but less dirty. i'm wondering how he even got off the Helicarrier with his clothes and money.

Could be a combination. I don't believe Eric is remourseless, he just doesn't let it prevent him from getting what he wants. I think we all have known someone like that. Someone who wasn't totally evil, but whose conscience couldn't overcome their selfishness. I mean have we ever seen Maria Hill show much remourse?

you're probably right. but they have shown Hill second-guessing a bad action before. ex. she refused to drop a nuke on Genosha when the president ordered it. Eric might not have thought twice.

And how! Punching out an artery is still bad ass. Shrinking heroes take a lot of flack but that was cool. All he needs is a moment like Atom got against Darkseid (the Atom once rode on a beam of light to get past a forcefield and attack the villian's brain).

he needs to crawl inside a villain's head & kick them in the brain. t:

Still, I think his nature may make Eric more amusing for other writers too. I could imagine Brubaker (CRIMINAL) or Vaughan or even a hack like Bendis can be doing some good with him (with Bendis, the more jaded you are, the more efficient you tend to be in his stories. Think about it).

it's a little too early for that. Kirkman's still establishing his perosnality/background. but i'd love to see another writer's take on the character; even Bendis. who wrote The HOOD MAX series? i'd love to see that guy take a stab at him, maybe as a guest-appearance.

Not that I can recall. Pym naturally would have him on experience WAY more that Mitch does despite Eric's superior suit. Mitch is a rookie like Eric, just had more official training (much like a rookie on a sport's team trains with the rest of the team, but still is a rookie).

Mitch might be a 'rookie' but he's supposedly second in command under Dum Dum Dugan. he was the one calling the shots when the Helicarrier was attacked. so i'd bet that he's either really skilled or has served SHIELD a significant number of years. i'd say that he's at least as competent as Pym when it comes to hand-to-hand combat. that said, i would expect Hank to kick Eric's butt if it were a straight up fight. he did build the suit.

How long did the military chase Hulk (even at times to try to "find out the secret of his power to harness it", or even provoking a Hulk who always shouted about being left alone)? Eric may be in it for a while.

true. but the Hulk was also a) very easy to spot & track and b) a lot more destructive. Banner wasn't going around stopping muggings or spying on girls at the gym. i'd just see Hulk as a higher priority for the military than Eric is for SHIELD. and it's not like he's a clever individual. if i were asked to track him down, i'd just put out the message that he'd be given amnesty and a chance to get training with his powers if he were to surrender. then i'd shoot him once he showed up. or heck, just fill the aerobics classes with SHIELD snipers. or have a female agent hit on him. poor guy already spilled his name and origin to a complete stranger (before getting her name or asking what she does for a living).

Or not as emo, if "Penance" is any indication.

LOL! it's amazing how fast 'Emo-Ball' caught on.

It probably would be. Would it reveal Eric as also being a pedo?

god i hope not! that would be even worse than Pym's wife-beater status. plus he didn't seem all that interested in the little girl he saved over in Civil War: Choosing Sides. i'd say that he's more of an old-fashioned pervert; women of age and up. t:

 

[Darthphere]

I don't want to be an ******* (actually I do) and its been a few days, but why did this need its own thread again?

 

[Anubis]

I had to drop about 20 books and sadly, this was one of them.

 

[Muze]

I don't want to be an ******* (actually I do) and its been a few days, but why did this need its own thread again?

because you're still posting in it.

I had to drop about 20 books and sadly, this was one of them.

uhhhh.......thanks?

 

[Darthphere]

Stupid answer. The right answer is, it didn't, I'm just obsessed with Ant-Man.

 

[Muze]

Stupid answer. The right answer is, it didn't, I'm just obsessed with Ant-Man.

glad to hear it. t:

 

[Anubis]

uhhhh.......thanks?

The thing is, I didn't really wanna drop it, but there was at least forty other books that were better, and I had to make a tough decision. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is, sorry for contributing to the falling numbers and the inevitable cancellation of this book. Take er easy.

 

[Muze]

The thing is, I didn't really wanna drop it, but there was at least forty other books that were better, and I had to make a tough decision. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is, sorry for contributing to the falling numbers and the inevitable cancellation of this book. Take er easy.

fair enough. it's still my favorite book and i'm already buying, at least, two copies. but, if the cancellation isn't as inevitable as you think it is, expect me to rub it in your face.

 

[Anubis]

Don't worry, when it does get canned, I wont say anything.

 

[deemar325]

I still got love for Ant-man and for good or bad I'm sticking with the book. They just need to DX Hester.

 

[Muze]

Don't worry, when it does get canned, I wont say anything.

someone posts that it will cancelled every day, for some reason. don't worry about it. they are talking it up on newsarama and jinxworld though.

 

[Colossal Spoons]

Every "underdog" book I like seems to get the can. First Thing and now Ant-Man(more than likely). Muze, I may not share your love for the character but I'll continue to fight the good fight for this book.